Something Old, Something New for Christmas
by kate avalanche
Summary: Riku organizes a secret santa classwide, and Daisuke's recipient takes the gift much better than expected...  [SatoXDai]


Daisuke shivered beneath his covers, drawing his knees close to his chest. With a free hand, he reached to yank the blanket over his head, but strands of red still showed from under the edge.

_When did it get so cold?_ The boy wondered as he tried to snatch a few more minutes of sleep before school.

_Probably around the time it became DECEMBER_, an all too awake voice snapped.

_Dark, shut up, I'm still tired from last night's _misadventure_, please?_

_Fine Dai_, the voice sighed in a rare moment of compassion.

"Niwa Daisuke, you get up now!" his mother's voice called from the kitchen, "Your alarm went off _ages_ ago!"

The boy pulled his head from the cocoon of blankets to look at his clock and nearly fell off the bed when the numbers swam into focus. He jumped up and began a mad dash to get ready, surprised that, aside from the occasional snicker, Dark wasn't cracking any jokes or even sarcastic comments, even when Daisuke nearly went head over hells as he flew – metaphorically – down the stairs.

"Dai-chan, do you have any time for some –"

"Sorry okaa-san, see you tonight!"

"-breakfast?"

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Ignoring the rapid fire chattering of his teeth, Daisuke tore down the chilly halls of the school. He knew the tardy bell would ring any second, and it did, the moment he made it into the classroom, doubled over panting.

He raised his head to smile at the teacher innocently and apologize for cutting it so close, only to see that the room only held students at the moment.

Riku shook her head at him, smiling at his entrance. She stood at the board with a piece of chalk in her hand. On the stretch of board behind her was written in large, neat letters, "Secret Santas". Seeing the confused tilt of his head, she mouthed, "Sit down," waving the chalk in the direction of his seat.

Once he was settled in, she addressed the class, "You all know Christmas is coming up, and _last year_, the class activity was something of a fiasco," she paused to allow those immature enough a moment to giggle and reminisce, "So this year, we thought we'd try something different. Everyone write your name on a slip of paper and pass it up. I'll put them all in a bag and you'll draw slips. The name you get is the person you're getting a present for. Nothing too cheap, but don't go overboard either." She grinned and handed out little slips of paper, and people set to writing.

As the bag went around, Daisuke watched with vague interest the expressions his classmates made upon reading their names. They ranged from joy to nausea to confusion, and then a quick turn of the head to look around. He wondered whom he would get. He knew whom he _hoped_ he would get, but odds were he'd be disappointed, and then Dark would poke fun at his disappointment.

Finally the bag came to him. One name played over and over in his head as he fished around. When he decided on a slip, he pulled it out and unfolded it as gingerly as though it were a grenade.

Hiwatari Satoshi.

Daisuke had to read it two more times before he allowed himself to believe it. He wondered – was that coincidence or –

"Ahem," the next student waiting for the bag made his impatience known, and without shifting his head of his thoughts, Daisuke tossed the bag back.

Within minutes, everyone else had their people and the room exploded into conversation and speculation about who had gotten whom. Suddenly, it struck Daisuke, _I have no idea what to get him…_

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The bell indicating the end of the school day rang, and as Daisuke was snapping his bag shut, about to leave, he felt someone come up behind him, and a voice he'd been imagining all day spoke.

Niwa-san, are you free this afternoon? I thought we might get the shopping for the class Christmas event out of the way."

The redhead scrambled to collect his thoughts, but the only thing he had registered was what he hoped was an undertone of hopefulness in the other boy's question, wait…he had just asked Daisuke a question…which meant he was still waiting for an answer! What was the question? Daisuke thought frantically until it occurred to him, wait, it's Hiwatari-kun, the answer is always – probably – yes!

"Yes," Daisuke replied, praying that that was the appropriate answer.

"Great, let's go," the boy's eyes, cold only a moment ago, lit up just a little, and Daisuke knew he'd answered right.

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As the boys walked up and down the aisled of the shop, both noted that the other was not picking anything up.

"You get someone hard to shop for?" Hiwatari asked, startling Daisuke out of a daydream.

"I guess so. How do you shop for someone who seems to already have everything they need?"

"You give him something only _you_ can give," the older boy smiled slightly as the redhead looked up wide-eyed, then looked back down red cheeked.

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_Daisuke_

The boy stirred, blinking at the sudden light, _Yeah Dark?_

_You'd better get up soon or you'll be late…_

_A' right, a 'right, one minute._

_On, and the gift exchange is today and you have nothing for your creepy lover._

"He's not my lover!!" the boy shouted as he tumbled from his bed and yanked on his school uniform.

"No one ever said he was Dai-chan," his mother's voice came from the hallway, a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Damn damn damn," Daisuke muttered as he scanned his room for something he could pass off as a present to Hiwatari-kun. Nothing seemed right, nothing seemed good enough. At last, he gave up and grabbed a random book off of the shelf, hoping it wasn't something stupid.

"Okaa-san, do we have any wrapping paper?"

"Sorry sweetie, your grandfather had some…_issues_," his mother replied with a pointed stare at her father, who only shrugged and grinned, "I think there's a couple gift bags stashed in the same drawer though."

"That'll work," he called as the redhead dashed to the drawer where they kept gift-wrapping supplies. He pulled out a gift bag that didn't have anything girly or other-holiday-related things on it, and slipped the book inside, tucking some paper around it. However, as he was wrapping the gift, he saw the title of the book he had grabbed. Peter Pan. Damn. He couldn't give Hiwatari-kun a children's book, but he didn't have enough time to get him something real, so he tried to think of a cover story as he ran out the door.

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As the last day before winter break, the teachers knew it was hopeless to expect the students to be attentive in class. Because of that, they decided that the gift exchange was the first order of business, and they would wing it from there.

"Harada-san, you organized this, so I'll let you finish it," the teacher sat in a chair off to the side, relinquishing control of the class to Riku.

"All right everyone, we can do this a couple of ways. Would you rather hand your gifts directly to the people, or do you want to put them all up here and I'll call people up to get their gifts?"

The obvious choice, the first, was chosen, and pandemonium ensued, with students moving around the classroom, all eager to give – and get – their presents first. All that is, except for a lone boy with blue hair. Daisuke, after awkwardly accepting a scarf from a girl he barely knew, wondered how to present him with a half-assed gift…

_Dai, you're such a girl! Just put it on his desk and walk away. _Dark said in an irritated, but amused voice.

_I can't do that! …Maybe I could if it were a good present, but it's a beat up copy of Peter Pan!_

_Hehe, good luck with that. _And with that, his alter ego, curled up for a nap in the back of Daisuke's mind.

_Fat lot of help _you _are, _the boy thought, but forced himself to walk to the desk, feeling his cheeks turn pink and probably clashing with his hair.

"Erm…Hiwatari-kun?"

The older boy looked up, seemingly half asleep, "oh, it's you Niwa-san." He left it at that, and if Daisuke didn't know better, he'd think Hiwatari was taking pleasure in seeing Daisuke scramble for words, his flush deepening by the second.

"I – ah – thought you might like this…" Daisuke spluttered, dropped the bag on the desk, and then ran.

_…I don't even _like_ the boy, but I almost felt sorry for him just now, _a cold, angelic voice whispered in the back of Hiwatari's mind

_You don't feel anything ever, _the boy snapped mentally, and then slowly tipped the bag's opening towards himself. He pulled away the paper covering what was inside, and saw a book. Hardcover, but thin, and evidently often read. He slid it out of the package, and his brow furrowed in confusion, _Peter pan? I wonder why…_ He flipped through the pages, wondering if there was a note or something stuffed between them. Nothing fluttered down, so he set to wondering again, _Maybe it's his favourite book? Maybe there's some sort of message in it, like a code or…no. Oh well._ And with that, he set to quietly reading.

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Daisuke flopped down onto his bed, his face screwed into an expression of acute disappointment and frustration with himself.

_You kinda screwed that up kid._

_I know… _was all the redhead could manage to say to his alter ego, rolling over and pulling the covers over his head. He fully intended to get in a few minutes of good old-fashioned moping before taking a whack at his homework, but was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the phone.

"I'll get it!" his mother's voice came through the house and the ringing stopped. Only moments later though, Daisuke was again interrupted when her voice called, "Dai-chan, it's for you!"

Daisuke picked up a phone and said hello, just as he heard his mother click off the set she had.

"Niwa-kun?" The breath caught in Daisuke's throat as he tried to reply.

"Niwa-kun, could you meet me somewhere? Actually, get out some paper and something to write with…" Daisuke could hardly process what was happening, but scribbled down the address and directions that voice gave him. "See you in a few minutes Niwa-kun." Even after the dial tone began, Daisuke didn't want to hang up. When he did, it finally clicked…Hiwatari-san was expecting him…he needed to run!

"I have to go out for a bit okaa-san!" he announced as he grabbed his bag to make the upcoming lie more believable, "I'm going over to a friend's for help with some over the break homework!"

"You're starting that already?"

"Yeah, I don't understand it and he's leaving town tomorrow," he lied again as he ran out the door, a huge grin pasted on his face.

"That boy…so dedica- wait…" Emiko's face took on an expression of confusion, but she shrugged it off, she knew Daisuke could take care of himself, and if he couldn't, he always had Dark.

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Before he knew it, he was standing at the door he never expected to go through. He raised a hand to knock, but the door flew open before he got the chance.

"Niwa-kun, hi. Sorry the place isn't tidier, Krad and I had…never mind. Come in," Daisuke was surprised to see Hiwatari looking flustered. He walked in slowly, hoping Dark would be smart enough to stay asleep.

"So I wondered for the longest time what was your rationale behind the book Niwa-kun," the redhead looked up guiltily, but the blue haired boy didn't seem to be looking him in the face, "but I read it…and, well…here." He looked at Daisuke, almost sheepishly, and pulled something small and silver out of his pocket. He put it in the redhead's hand, and sat down on the couch next to him. Daisuke looked at it for a moment, confused, _why would he give me a thimble…_**(1) **_OH!_

He looked up into blue eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "May I have a real one?"

Those blue eyes widened in shock, then fell closed as his face neared that of the redhead. Daisuke's thoughts were still reeling from his own forwardness, but those thoughts turned to smoke as the boy kissed him.

When they broke apart, Daisuke blinked sleepily up at the boy leaning over him, and said, "Hiwa-" but was cut off.

"Satoshi," Hiwatari said.

"Satoshi-kun"

"No, no –kun."

"…Satoshi?"

The boy's usually pale complexion turned pink, or at least closer to normal human colour, "Yeah…Daisuke?"

The redhead hiccupped, surprised by how much hearing his name, without honorifics, coming from those lips, affected him.

"I love you."

"I was wondering when you'd figure that out," the blue haired boy whispered, pulling Daisuke close.

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(1) In Peter Pan, Wendy wants Peter to give her a kiss, but Peter, being insanely innocent and sheltered from things like that, thinks a kiss is a thimble. Hence the cuteness and symbolism of Satoshi giving Daisuke a thimble.


End file.
